The invention relates to a can opener for prying open tab-tops of both the pull-off and stay-on variety.
Present day containerization of liquids, such as soft drinks and beer, have finger-manipulable tab-tops that eliminate the need for puncturing the can top with a conventional can opener. However, lifting the tab by hand is oftentimes difficult due to the close tolerance between the grasping portion of the tab and the can top.
When the tab is closely positioned on a can top the consumer must initially insert a fingernail underneath the tab to gain leverage for opening, or otherwise use some available thin-edged implement. Once the tab is pried away from the can top a sufficient distance for grasping with the consumer's fingers, tab opening may be completed. Not uncommonly,tabs break during opening. Also, broken fingernails may result, as well as injury to the consumer's finger from contact with sharp metal edges. Children find these tab tops even more difficult to manipulate in that they do not have the dexterity of the adult consumer. When children attempt to force tab tops open, cuts from these sharp metal edges might occur. This is particularly a problem with the ecology-type, or stay-on, tabs in which a sealing tongue is bent inwardly of the can as a result of prying the tab portion upwardly away from the can top.
One prior solution has provided a combination bottle cap opener and tab-top opener in an integral metal construction. From a conventional cap opener end there extends a flat body which widens then narrows to a point. Near the point, but generally at the widest portion of the body, a tab engaging struck-out slot is provided. Tab opening is achieved with a rotary motion closely resembling the motion used for conventional cap opening such that the user's hand pivots the opener about the tab opening end, and the long axis of the opener rotates from a position generally at right angles to the central axis of the container toward the container axis until opening is achieved. The prior art openers do not include chisel-like starter edges for initial tab prying when tabs are closely associated with can tops. Since sufficient rigidity is required, the combination-type opener is made of metal to permit bottle cap opening as well as tab opening. It would be desirable to utilize less costly materials for a tab-top opener.
Accordingly, it is the primary goal of the invention to provide an easy-to-use can opener for use with both stay-on and pull-off tab-tops that will positively open a can with reduced risk of injury to the user's hand.
It is an important goal of the invention to provide a tab-top can opener which includes a slotted-body for receiving a tab and securely holding it while rotation at a handle means prys the tab upwardly from the can top.
It is another goal of the invention to provide a tab-top can opener which includes a chisel-like starter edge for initial prying of the tab from the can top and then subsequent insertion into the slotted body for final opening.
It is an allied object of the invention to provide an easily manipulable can opener which by simple rotation of a handle will open both the removable and stay-on tab-tops.
It is a concomitant objective to provide a generally key-shaped tab-top opener which affords tab opening with a simple rotating maneuver around the long axis of the opener wherein the long axis of the opener remains substantially at right angles to the central axis of the can, and opening is achieved in a manner similar to turning a key in a door lock for ease of use by the consumer.